Bau Cat, a three-piece from Prestatyn in North Wales, have shared a double A-side, Ordinary People / Conversations with America, ahead of their four-track EP Price of Life. It's out on 6 November via Libertino Records on digital, CD and limited vinyl.
The EP was recorded live at Studio Tecna in Sheffield with producer David Glover, whose credits include Self Esteem, Sister Wives and Slow Club. All four tracks were played together in one room, in one take, with no overdubs. The band explain: "At a time when so much of what we see and hear can feel polished, manipulated or artificial, especially with AI becoming such a huge part of everyday life, it felt important to us to make something that captured three people in a room actually playing together."
A band from North Wales choosing to keep the imperfections in, in the middle of the AI argument, is exactly the sort of decision I like to see, and it's why I'm happy to put my name behind Price of Life. Add the fact that they're open about how hard it is to keep making music on a working-class budget, and this is an EP I'd like more people to hear.
Ordinary People is the one closest to home. The press release says it draws on the warmth and melody of The Beatles' Rubber Soul, and reflects the band's own experience as working-class musicians trying to sustain a creative life when simply making music is becoming increasingly unaffordable. "This one's for all the ordinary people out there like us, failing so beautifully."
Conversations with America looks outward. It's inspired by The Cure, Blondie and R.E.M., and opens with a driving bassline and a distorted megaphone before moving into something more melodic. "It's impossible to ignore all the noise. Everywhere you look there's another conflict, another power play, another victim. But ultimately the message is love. We're all in this together."
The full tracklist for Price of Life:
- Traposphere
- Conversations with America
- Dr Doctor
- Ordinary People
Bau Cat are known for playful, urgent and joyful live shows, and have played Green Man and the Toad Hall stage at Glastonbury. They've had support from BBC Introducing, BBC Radio Wales, Huw Stephens and Emily Pilbeam on BBC Radio 6 Music, KEXP and John Kennedy's X-Posure on Radio X.
You can stream Price of Life on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/68AXzqKC7JK8C4dbLODeh3